A water balloon or water bomb is a latex rubber balloon filled with water. Because of how water balloons' latex breaks under stress, they are often thrown and launched at targets, resulting in wetness. They are commonly used in water balloon fights and for purposes of carrying out practical jokes.
Water balloons are typically thrown or lobbed by a user at an intended target. Because water balloons, by nature, have an amorphous and changing shape, it is often difficult to accurately aim and throw a water balloon and actually hit an intended target. This difficulty is compounded when the intended target is located at a distance that is outside of one's throwing range.
Various devices have been developed to allow a user to throw water balloons at greater distances and hit the intended target at greater accuracy. One such device is a water balloon sling shot, which typically comprises a soft pocket in which the water balloon is placed, and an elastic material on either sides of the pocket. The Y-shaped frame, typical of the traditional slingshots, is usually omitted so as to accommodate a variety of water balloon shapes and sizes. As a result, the operation of a water balloon slingshot may require up to three people to launch a balloon, with two people holding the two ends of the elastic material and one person to retract the pocket and water balloon.
While there are other water balloon launchers that may require only a single person for operation, they are typically rather unwieldy or expensive. For example, there are launchers that make use of compressed air to push a water balloon out of a barrel, marketed under the name “Balloon Bazooka.”